1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal, such as a DMB phone, a game phone, a chatting phone, a camera phone, an MP3 phone, a cellular phone, a PCS, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a Hand Held Phone (HHP), and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to an ultra-slim portable terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a “portable terminal” is an electronic device which a user may carry to communicate with another user wirelessly. To improve portability, the design of portable terminals has tended toward more compact, slim and light devices. Furthermore, in keeping with recent trends, portable terminals are being provided with multimedia capabilities to allow users to pursue a wider variety of functions. In particular, recent portable terminals are multi-functional while still being compact and light, and are suitable for functioning in multimedia environments and for providing internet access and functions. Such portable terminals may be used by men and women, young and old, anywhere in the world, and many users consider portable terminals a necessity which must always be carried.
Conventional portable terminals may be classified into various types of devices based on their appearance, such as bar-type portable terminals, flip-type portable terminals, or folder-type portable terminals. A bar-type portable terminal has a single housing which is shaped like a bar. A flip-type portable terminal has a flip panel which is pivotally mounted to a bar-shaped housing by a hinge unit. A folder-type portable terminal has a folder coupled to a single bar-shaped housing by a hinge unit in such a manner that the folder can be rotated to be folded or unfolded from the housing. Portable terminals may also be classified as neck wearable-type terminals or wrist wearable-type terminals, according to the position at or the way in which a user wears the terminal. The neck wearable-type portable terminal is one which a user wears around the neck using a lanyard or necklace, while the wrist wearable-type portable terminal is one which a user wears around the wrist. Additionally, portable terminals may be classified as rotation-type terminals and sliding-type terminals according to the method of opening and closing the terminals. In a rotation-type portable terminal, two housings are coupled to each other to face each other, and one housing rotates to be opened or closed relative to the other. In a sliding-type portable terminal, two housings are coupled to each other in a manner that one housing slides relative to the other housing to open or close the portable terminal. These various classifications of portable terminals are easily understood by those skilled in the art.
Further, recent conventional portable terminals allow voice communication as well as high-speed data communication. That is, as consumer demands have increased, various services have been provided using wireless communication technology for transmitting and receiving data at a high speed.
Currently, portable terminals may be provided with an external or embedded camera lens module, and it is possible to transmit image signals and the like. Therefore, it is possible to perform image communication or to photograph a desired subject.
Conventional folder-type portable terminals have certain disadvantages, however.
A conventional folder-type portable terminal includes a body and a folder which is folded to the body by a hinge. Two display units, such as a main display unit and an auxiliary display unit, are stacked in such a manner that the main display unit is disposed on one surface of the folder and the auxiliary display unit is disposed on the other surface of the folder. This makes it difficult to make the folder slim, and makes it difficult to reduce the overall thickness of the portable terminal.
In a typical conventional folder-type portable terminal, the auxiliary display unit generally is mounted to the outer surface of the folder and the main display unit is mounted to the inner surface of the folder. The auxiliary display unit mounted on the outer surface of the folder displays data which a user frequently consults, for example, time information, date information, data regarding antenna reception intensity, data indicating the remaining lifespan of a battery, data indicating that a message is received, and the like. This allows a user to conveniently view this data without opening the folder.
Further, since the body of the conventional folder-type portable terminal includes a keypad having a plurality of keys, a main printed circuit board, and a battery pack, which are stacked with respect to one another, it is difficult to make the body slim. The mounting space required by an antenna unit provided at the upper end of the body, in which a whip antenna is inserted into and withdrawn from the antenna unit, also makes it difficult to make the terminal slim. Therefore, in a conventional folder-type portable terminal, since it is difficult to make the body and the folder slim, the overall thickness of the portable terminal is thick. The thickness may make it difficult to grasp the portable terminal, and some users may find the appearance unattractive.
Further, in a conventional folder-type portable terminal, since signals are generated by pressing keys of the keypad, a certain space is required to allow the keys to be pressed. Therefore, the thickness of the keypad must be more than a certain thickness, thereby producing another obstacle to making the body of the portable terminal slim.
Moreover, a conventional folder type portable terminal has no method for holding the folder in a stable position when the folder is closed onto the body, which may cause a hinge to crack. Specifically, to make the folder slim, it is necessary to stably hold the folder closed and reduce the opening and closing forces transferred to the hinge. Thus, when the folder is closed, it makes little movement, and a minimal force is applied to the hinge, thereby preventing the hinge from cracking.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved portable terminal which is ultra-slim so that it is easy to carry and reliable.